Thirty-four graduate vets are being placed in rural areas, from Kaitaia in the far North to Gore in Southland, through the Government’s Voluntary Bonding Scheme for Veterinarians (VBS) Agriculture and Rural Communities Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. The successful recipients will each receive funding of $55,000 over five years, in a bid to help ease […]
funding
Government backs rural driver licensing support programme
From the Minister for Rural Communities – Damien O’Connor The Government has committed an extra $600,000 in funding to support driver licensing and education programmes in rural communities across Aotearoa, Rural Communities Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. The funding, provided by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), will be spread over three years to boost […]
Boosting local road funding heads in the right direction, Feds says
News that the government has shifted funding for local road maintenance back up a gear is heartening for rural families dismayed by potholed access and dilapidated bridges, Federated Farmers says. “What we need now is for district councils all over New Zealand to dedicate a significant portion of this increased funding to dealing with the […]
Horizons Regional Council to lead partnership in constructing wetland for Lake Horowhenua restoration
Horizons Regional Council have reached a major milestone in the path to restoring Lake Horowhenua by securing a land package to construct a nationally significant wetland complex. Governance Group Chair for the project and Horizons’ Chair Rachel Keedwell says the land package was purchased for $6.75m, with $5.6m of that coming from central government’s Jobs […]
Farmers bankroll Budget’s big spending
Federated Farmers wants New Zealand’s farmers to pat themselves on the back for making it possible for the country to afford the Budget announced by the Government today. In his speech to present the Budget Minister of Finance Grant Robertson acknowledged the financial carnage predicted by the Government last year did not eventuate. “And that’s […]
Stalled boarding allowance a barrier to equitable education access
Federated Farmers intends ramping up political pressure for a long overdue increase to the school access barrier boarding allowance. This follows a Feds’ survey of farming families which revealed substantial costs and family disruption from the access barrier board allowance being totally outstripped by the fees that boarding schools charge. Average state boarding school fees […]